A new alternative to adoption...

Introduction
Special Guardianship is a new form of legal arrangement which came into effect following the implementation of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Special Guardianship Orders are designed to provide carers and children with a firm foundation on which to build a lifelong permanent relationship. These new legal orders will provide a number of benefits for "Looked After" children and their "Special Guardians". Looked After Children who are made subject of Special Guardianship Orders will benefit from increased legal securuty without being absolutely legally separated from their family of origin. Special Guardians will obtain clear responsibility for all aspects of caring for the child and for taking the
decisions to do with their upbringing. fp.c Special Guardianship carers will be recruited, prepared, approved, trained and supportive to provide Special Guardianship placments for specific children assessed as needing this form of care. As Special Guardianship carers will initially take children on a fostering basis, they will be approved as both foster carers and as special guardianship carers. This will allow time for children to settle and for all parties to feel confident about the Special Guardianship plan before an order is sought. In the period after the making of the Special Guardianship Order, fp.c will remain available to provide ongoing advice and support to the carers under the terms of an agreed Special Guardianship Support Plan.

Special Guardianship orders are designed to:

Provide legal security for the carer and child

Preserve the basic link between the child and their birth family

Be accompanied by access to a full range of support services

Ensure carers can receive ongoing financial support in a range of circumstances

This website has been developed to this stage for illustration purposes. In the next stage of implementing our Special Guardianship Project plans, we want to develop close links with local authorities that are interested in collaborating with us on the development and implementation of this exciting new project. This will allow us to develop arrangements that take account of existing policy, procedures, care planning processes and post placement financial arrangements within partner authorities at the service design stage. Although we have very clear ideas about how the scheme could be developed, it seems to us that collaboration will deliver a better, more joined up process and a more stream lined transition from foster care to special guardianship for children and their carers. If you are interested in hearing more about this project or exploring possible collaborative arrangements, please contact us directly by phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you.....

Some Key Points

Special Guardianship is a new legal alternative to adoption. Special Guardians acquire full legal parental responsibility for the specific child.Special Guardianship offers the chance for lots of looked after children to live with increased legal security with their new families.
Children subject to Special Guardianship will be able to retain their original surname - unlike adoption where names are legally changed.

Special Guardianship will provide legal underpining for carers and children to form long term and life-long permanent relationships.
Special Guardianship will be particularly relevant for older children who need the benefits of legal security without severing all links with their family of origin.
The granting of a Special Guardianship Order has the effect of discharging a child from local authority care.